Have you ever wondered what it took to become one of the “World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders”? For the newer members of the MOA who might not know about the Iron Butt Association, it is comprised of 39,000+ members who are dedicated to safe, long-distance motorcycle riding. In order to become a member, you need to complete and have certified one of their long distance rides, the shortest of which is the SaddleSore 1000 (1,000 miles in 24 hours or less).
While attending last year’s MOA rally in Johnson City I realized that I would be heading home solo and decided that I would take a shot at completing the SaddleSore 1000. My longest day in a saddle up to this point had been approximately 500 miles so I was a little concerned that I might not be able to finish the ride.
I began by researching the requirements for certifying the ride and also looking at the recommendations for conducting a ride for the first time. Fortunately for me my route home was primarily interstate highway which was highly recommended by the IBA for first time attempts. The IBA publishes the 25 long distance riding tips located at: 25 Tips . There are actually 29 tips and while they seem like common sense to most of us they are actually very easy to forget but well worth reading before starting any long distance ride.
I began my ride at 7:20 am on Sunday morning (7/19/09) after the rally. My starting witnesses were Stan Herman and Deb Lower. After topping off and getting the required starting gas receipt in Gray, TN I headed out for my solo journey. All gas receipts need to have the location and also the time annotated and reflected on your ride log.
Riding a R1150GSA allowed me to average about 230 miles between fill-ups which was roughly 3 ½ hours between stops. I stopped for fuel in Gordonsville, TN; Mason, TN; Conway, AR; Henryetta, OK; and finally Stillwater, OK. I also took two 30 min rest stops – one in Forrest City, AR and one in Henryetta, OK.
The ride for the most part was uneventful and I attribute this to the fact the route was interstate highway. I had one near miss just outside Conway, AR when a woman attempted to switched lanes without notice and pushed me onto the shoulder.
I could have chosen a couple of different routes but I chose this particular route because it would take me through my hometown of Henryetta, OK. Henryetta is also home town for two other well known individuals: Jim Shoulders – 7 time world rodeo champion and Troy Akmen – former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
The last time I was in Henryetta was just after I had graduated from college (1982) and was heading to Germany as an Army Lieutenant. Henryetta is where my motorcycling days began. I grew up running around town on a red 1976 Honda XL 125 that I purchased for a grand total of $695 brand new. In those days you could get a motorcycle license at age 14 and I paid for the bike by delivering the Tulsa World newspapers. I also managed to get that Honda stuck up to its handlebars in quick sand in the North Canadian River – that’s another story.
One of the more memorable features of Henryetta which still remains is the Doughboy statue – a monument to those who lost their lives serving this country. Dedicated on Monday, November 26, 1923, the memorial plate bears inscription "To the memory of all in this area who paid the supreme sacrifice in all wars.” It includes the names of 82 men who died in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
Needless to say Henryetta has changed, but not for the better. Like many Midwestern towns of its size – 6.1 square miles and population of 6,000 - it is dying a slow death. The loss of manufacturing jobs has really hurt the town. One thing Oklahoma does have that it did not have when I was growing up is casinos. In 2004 Oklahoma voters allowed for gambling on Indian land. Oklahoma has 38 federally recognized Indian Entities and many of them have turned to gaming as a source of revenue. Oklahoma is second only to California in Indian gaming revenue and took in $2.9 billion in 2008.
After taking a quick tour of the town and my old stomping grounds, I stopped to grab a quick bite at one of the restaurants outside town. After a dinner of chicken fried steak, I continued on I-40 to Oklahoma City and turned north on I-35 towards Kansas. I rolled into Stillwater, OK at 11:57 pm Sunday night – approximately 16 ½ hours after I started. I had just turned over 1,015 miles as I pulled into the Short Stop 5 gas station to get my close out gas receipt and was hoping to find someone to verify my ending time. As I was filling up two Payne County Sheriff deputies pulled in and I was able to convince both deputies that I was not crazy and to sign off on my close out form.
If you are interested in attempting an Iron Butt ride and are planning to attend next year’s rally, the Iron Butt Association has teamed up with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America for a special SaddleSore 1000. Called the Redmond 1000, the ride will finish at the MOA’s International Rally, which is being held from July 15-18, 2010 in Redmond, OR. Unlike my ride, where I had to wait 4 months for certification, Redmond 1000 finishers will be certified on at Redmond and will receive a distinctive certificate and other unique promotional items and swag.
IBA Press Release on MOA National Rally SS 1000
Don Burns
BMW MOA #120697
aka. Warthog